Friday, January 27
Columbia, Mo.
7 p.m.
University of Missouri
vs
Oklahoma State
No. 7 @MizzouWrestling to Host No. 1 Oklahoma State at the Hearnes Friday
1/26/2017 4:52:00 PM | Wrestling
Tigers will host the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time since 2012
| MATCH DAY - Friday, Jan. 27 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME | MEDIA | |
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No. 1 Oklahoma State |
Columbia, Mo. | Friday, Jan. 27 | 7 p.m. (CT) | ||
Mizzou Hosts No. 1 Oklahoma State for Top-10 Tussle
- Mizzou Wrestling is set to host No. 1 Oklahoma State on Friday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. CT at the Hearnes Center. It will mark the first time the No. 1 team in the nation (other than Mizzou) has come to Columbia since Feb. 4, 2012, when Oklahoma State defeated the Tigers, 22-12.
- Despite Oklahoma State's substantial advantage in the all-time series (Oklahoma State leads 41-6-1), all six of Mizzou's victories over the Cowboys have come during head coach Brian Smith's tenure, most recently on Jan. 23, 2015, when the Tigers won, 22-10, at the Hearnes Center.
- Mizzou is coming off a a 24-8 win over No. 16 Central Michigan on Jan. 22 where the Tigers won seven of 10 bouts and received bonus point victories from redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis and senior 197-pounder J'den Cox. The win was Mizzou's 27th consecutive dual win in Mid-American Conference action, dating back to Jan. 25, 2014.
- Lewis continued his hot streak of wrestling in his win over Central Michigan's Logan Parks, recording a first-period 17-0 technical fall, the fourth consecutive win by bonus points for the Tiger sophomore. In his four-match win streak, Lewis has outscored to oppostion, 58-0, scoring two technical falls and two major decisions. Before the win over Parks, Lewis earned three wins over Mizzou's three-dual road trip and captured MAC Wrestler of the Week honors for the first time in his career. In three matches, Lewis outscored his opponents, 41-0, knocking off Austin Weigel (Buffalo), Joey Galasso (Cornell, No. 16 at 149 pounds) and Devan Marry (Eastern Michigan).
Lewis Continues Hot Streak
- Following his second loss of the season in the Southern Scuffle finals, redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis flipped a switch and has ben on a tear since, earning four victories by the combined score of 58-0.
- Lewis earned the first MAC Wrestler of the Week honor of his career on Jan. 18 following his 3-0 week where he outscored his opponents, 41-0, earning two major decisions and a technical fall.
- Lewis, the 2016 MAC Freshman of the Year, began the week with a 12-0 major decision over Austin Weigel (Buffalo) on Jan. 12. Lewis scored two takedowns and two near-falls in the opening period to take an 8-0 lead before stretching his lead to 12-0 for the final major decision.
- Next, Lewis earned a 17-0 technical fall in the first period over Joey Galasso (Cornell) on Jan. 14. Galasso was ranked No. 16 at 149 pounds, but proved to be no challenge to the All-American Lewis.
- Then, Lewis earned a 12-0 major decision over Devan Marry (Eastern Michigan) on Jan. 15. Lewis scored quickly again against Marry, scoring 10 points in the opening period before yielding the 12-0 major decision.
- Finally, Lewis posted his second first-period technical fall in as many weeks with a 17-0 win over Logan Parks (Central Michigan) on Jan. 22. Lewis scored a takedown 15 seconds into the match and added four separate near-falls plus a riding point to earn the 17-0 result.
Lewis, The Pin Artist
- Following the four-match win streak, redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis improved to 18-2 on the season and 10-0 in duals.
- The Tiger sophomore leads the team in dual points with 43, and falls with six. In a season and a half as an attached wrestler, Lewis is 22-2 in dual competition, including a perfect 12-0 in MAC duals.
- Known as a "pin artist", Lewis leads the teams in wins by fall this season, registering six falls, including two at the Southern Scuffle. He has pinned 16 opponents during his two seasons as an attached wrestler after scoring 10 wins by fall in 2015-16. In addition, during his redshirt season (2014-15), Lewis posted falls in 15 of his 21 wins.
Erneste Makes the Most of his Opportunity
- Following redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman's move up a weight class from 133 to 141 pounds, redshirt sophomore 133-pounder John Erneste helped fill a void in the Tigers' starting lineup at 133 pounds.
- Erneste first competed as Mizzou's starter while at the Southern Scuffle, where he impressed by going 5-2 and finishing fifth at one of the nation's toughest in-season tournaments. At the Scuffle, Erneste posted two wins by bonus points, including a 9-0 major decision over No. 14 Mitchell McKee (Minnesota) to capture fifth place. The win was Erneste's first career win over a ranked opponent.
- Following the Scuffle, Erneste has gone 5-0 in dual competition, posting two wins over ranked opponents and two wins by bonus points.
- For the year, Erneste is 19-4 and 6-0 in dual competition. Erneste's 19 wins and five falls both rank second on the team, while his four major decisions rank fourth on the team.
Cox's Pursuit of a Perfect Season
- Only one wrestler in program history, Ben Askren, has finished a season with an umblemished record. Askren did so twice, in 2005-06 and 2006-07, capturing the National Title at 174 pounds and the Dan Hodge Trophy following both seasons. Senior 197-pounder J'den Cox, Mizzou's only remaining undefeated wrestler in 2016-17, seeks to become the second-ever wrestler to record an undefeated season and the first wrestler in program history to win three NCAA Titles.
- Cox is 16-0 on the season and 8-0 in dual competition, registering bonus point victories in 11 of 16 victories. Among team leaders, Cox ranks first technical falls with five, fourth in dual wins with eight and fourth in dual points with 31.
- Cox has certainly been challenged this season, facing seven ranked opponents, including four ranked in the top-10.
- Dating back to last season, Cox has now won 36 straight matches, recording bonus points in 25 of those victories.
First NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings Released
- Seven wrestlers were ranked in the first NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings. Among the seven wrestlers, four Tigers are ranked in the top-10, including senior 197-pounder J'den Cox, who is first at 197 pounds.
- Redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes checks in at No. 4, while redshirt junior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee and redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis each ranked at No. 6 in their respective weight classes.
- Redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman ranks in at No. 10, while redshirt sophomore 133-pounder John Erneste checks in at No. 13 and redshirt junior 125-pounder Barlow McGhee at No. 18.
27 Straight MAC Dual Wins
- As Mizzou seeks its third straight MAC regular season title and fifth straight MAC conference tournament championship, the Tigers have now won 27 straight MAC duals dating back to the 2013-14 season. Mizzou's last MAC dual loss came to the hands of Northern Iowa, 24-10, on Jan. 24, 2014 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
- In Mizzou's 27-dual conference win streak, Mizzou has outscored MAC opponents, 774-255, including shutouts over Northern Illinois (31-0 on Jan. 25, 2014) and Buffalo (41-0 on Feb. 7, 2014) to begin the streak.
- Since entering the MAC prior to the 2012-13 season, Mizzou has gone 31-2 in conference duals, falling only to Northern Iowa in 2014 and Central Michigan in its first year in the league, 17-16, on Jan. 20, 2013.
Eierman Transitions to 141 Pounds
- After struggling with weight at 133 pounds, redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman made the switch to 133 pounds prior to the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 1-2.
- Eierman proved to be more comfortable at 141 pounds, going 7-2 at the Scuffle while placing fifth, recording three technical falls in the process.
- Since making the jump, Eierman is 4-0 in dual competition, posting bonus points in three victories.
- On the season, Eierman is 18-4 and 7-2 in dual competition. He ranks fifth on the team in total victories with 18, second in technical falls with four, second in dual points with 32 and first in dual falls with three.
Lavallee's Hot Start
- After taking a redshirt last season, redshirt junior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee has roared back onto the scene in 2016-17, recording bonus points in eight of 16 wins (four major decisions, one technical fall, one fall) and capturing the UNI championship at 157 pounds on Dec. 3.
- Lavallee is 19-1 on the season, 9-0 in duals, and is tied for second on the team in dual points with 32. The Tiger junior owns five ranked wins so far this season, defeating No. 17 Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech) via major decision, 15-5 on Nov. 20 and No. 19 Jake Ryan by way of a 12-5 decision on Dec. 8 in duals. At the Scuffle, Lavallee defeated No. 7 Jake Short (Minnesota), 2-1, and No. 11 Andrew Atkinson (Virginia), 9-5, to claim third at the Scuffle on Jan. 2. Lavallee most recently defeated No. 7 Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan), 3-1, in a thrilling sudden victory match on Jan. 22.
100 Wins for Mayes
- Redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes recorded his 100th career victory in Mizzou's season-opening dual against Old Dominion. Mayes defeated Michael Hayes by way of a 9-4 decision to reach the century milestone.
- Mayes becomes the 25th member of Mizzou's exclusive 100-win club and first to reach the mark since senior 197-pounder J'den Cox reached the mark last season in a 16-7 major decision win over Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) on Feb. 21, 2016.
- Mayes currently owns a record of 112-22 and is ranked fourth in program history in career major decisions with 27 and seventh in winning percentage for wrestlers with over 100 wins with a winning percentage of .836 (112-22).
- In a breakout sophomore campaign (2014-15), Mayes went 38-4 at 141 pounds, finishing as an All-American with a seventh-place performance at the NCAA Championships. Mayes went 20-1 in dual competion throughout the year (6-1 in MAC duals) and recorded nine major decisions.
- Last year, Mayes went 32-3 en route to his second straight year on the podium, this time at 149 pounds. Mayes finished third at the weight class in New York City, defeating Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) in the third place bout after falling to the Cowboy in the quarterfinals.
Cox's Ascension up the Record Book
- Senior 197-pounder J'den Cox's outstanding Tiger career will come to an end following the 2016-17 season, but not before he leaves his mark on the Mizzou Wrestling record book.
- The two-time National Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist ranks sixth in program history in career wins with 124 and first in winning percentage among wrestlers with over 100 wins at .961 (124-5). Cox is one of two Tiger wrestlers (Ben Askren) to win two NCAA Titles and one of four (Ben Askren, Max Askren and Drake Houdashelt) to earn All-America honors three times.
- Cox also ranks second in career technical falls with 19 and fourth in career major decisions with 27. The Tiger senior is also nearing the top-10 in career falls with 24. Alan Waters, Mark Cody and Nathan McCormick are all tied for eighth all-time in program history with 27 falls.
Cox Named to WIN Magazine's Dan Hodge Trophy Preseason Candidate List
- Senior 197-pounder J'den Cox was named to the Dan Hodge Trophy Preseason Candidate List, announced by WIN Magazine on Dec. 9. Cox was one of eight wrestlers named to the list for the Hodge, which is equivalent to the Heisman Trophy in college football, and is the most prestigious award in college wrestling.
- Cox has opened the 2016-17 season with a 16-0 record, including a 8-0 mark in dual competitions. In three of his dual wins, Cox has beaten top-10 opponents, knocking off No. 9 Kevin Beazley (Old Dominion) on Nov. 13, No. 3 Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) on Nov. 20 and No. 6 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) on Dec. 8.
- The Tiger senior captured the UNI Open championship at 197 pounds on Dec. 3, scoring three falls in three matches en route to the title, and the Southern Scuffle 197 pound championships on Jan. 2 following a 6-4 win over No. 2 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota).
Wisman Cracks the Individual Rankings for the First Time
- After recording four straight wins, including two by bonus points and one over a ranked wrestler, redshirt freshman 174-pounder Dylan Wisman entered the individual rankings for the first time in his career on Jan. 16, ranking in at No. 19 in The Open Mat Individual Rankings.
- In his four match win streak, Wisman defeats Matt Reed (Oklahoma) by fall (2:59) on Jan. 8 and David Kasper (Eastern Michigan) by 9-1 major decision on Jan. 15. Wisman also defeated Brandon Womack (Cornell), 9-4, on Jan. 14. Womack entered the match ranked No. 14 at 165 pounds.
- Wisman is now 8-5 on the season, 6-3 in duals, recording bonus point victories in four wins (two falls, two major decisions.
Players Mentioned
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